A prominent Tory backbencher has criticised those who are leaving the Conservative Party for Reform UK, saying that such a move can only “undermine the national interest.”
Veteran MP Sir Bill Cash told The Epoch Times, “Reform can only undermine the Conservative Party and by that I mean the national interest, because irrespective of anything else, they will not get any seats, I don’t think, and if they got one, what difference does it make?”
Sir Bill is amongst key figures leading the charge of the right-leaning Tory hardliners who are demanding stricter amendments to the government’s Rwanda deportation bill for illegal immigrants. The political rebels aim to extrapolate the UK from being tied too closely to international law as the government seeks ways to solve the ongoing immigration crisis.
The latest polling data, from Redfield & Wilton Strategies at the start of the year, reveals that while 86 percent of individuals who voted for Labour in the last general election plan on voting for the party again, just 54 percent of 2019 Conservative voters plan to stick with the Tories.
Notably, 15 percent of former Conservative voters now indicate a preference for Labour, while an additional 15 percent are leaning toward supporting Reform UK if an election were to take place tomorrow. Reform now sits at third place in the national conversation, with 11 percent of the overall vote.
MPs ‘Only People Who Can Deliver’
“What I’m interested in, is why it is that people will take a position supporting Reform, when the only people who can deliver what they want are those who have a majority in the House of Commons, who have already achieved Brexit and sovereignty,” Sir Bill added.“They [Reform] are calling for a referendum, all these things, but you can’t get a referendum without an Act of Parliament. The idea that Reform could pass an act of parliament to get a referendum. It’s just risible.”
Reform UK has proposed the implementation of so-called Citizens’ Initiatives, which would enable individuals to initiate referendums, contingent upon gathering a minimum of 5 million registered voter signatures.
On the question of whether Reform was becoming a serious contender or Conservative voters were simply becoming more apathetic, Sir Bill said: “I think I think it’s a mixture of both. Unfortunately, apathy is a consequence of buffeted leadership, people who are enthused when they see things being done that they like, and I completely understand why people could switch off. But they shouldn’t.”
Farage Calls Tory MPs ‘Incapable’
The former MEP and president of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, told The Epoch Times before appearing on stage with Donald Trump in Iowa: “Poor old Bill Cash. Totally incapable of understanding how furious millions of Tory voters are. They have lied to us, betrayed Brexit and deserve everything that is coming to them.”Mr. Farage is now being touted for a return to front-line politics ahead of the general election. The potential for him to rejoin Richard Tice, current leader of Reform, in a senior campaigning capacity or even as leader once again, appears to be growing stronger, according to insiders.
Sir Bill said, “The real problem is that, if Reform is eating into our majority, a lot of MPs could be thrown out, particularly in the Red Wall, when actually we [Conservatives] need the Wall.”
Sir Bill pointed toward Covid, the Ukraine war and current destabilisation in the Middle East as key issues affecting the cost of living crisis, all of which he said, “were accumulative and nothing to do with the government whatsoever.”
He added that the electorate was not aware of how much had already been achieved. He said: “They want more than they’re getting. What they haven’t realised is how much they’ve already got. A lot of the issues are about cost of living, interest rates, and mortgages. I’m not denying that there are massive issues there.”
Mr. Tice told The Epoch Times that Sir Bill and Tory MPs were “totally out of touch with reality” and that their party had “betrayed” people.
Reform Establishes Tory Defections Unit
Meanwhile, Reform UK has established a “defections management team” to facilitate potential crossovers from the Conservative party. This unit is actively engaging with disgruntled Conservative MPs and councillors who are considering switching allegiances, particularly in anticipation of the upcoming local elections in May and the subsequent general election later this year.Reform representatives have said there are ongoing discussions with Tory politicians at various levels, suggesting an imminent confirmation of council leader defections. Speaking about the new unit, Mr. Tice said, “We have to vet some of these Tories to see if they meet our quality standards.”
Deputy leader of Reform and former MEP, Ben Habib, told The Epoch Times that Tory MPs who agreed with the need for change were “in the wrong party.”
Mr. Habib, who is running as a candidate for Reform in the upcoming Wellingborough by-election, said, “If they genuinely cared about the country, they would now leave. Surely, the writing is on the wall. I’m not a fan of recruiting anyone from the Conservative Party.
“If they want to join, of course, they’re 100 percent welcome. But unless and until they make their minds up to leave, they’re part of the problem. They’re not part of the solution. They need to wake up and realise how disastrous the Conservative Party is.”
